12^th June, 2008.

Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Films Division, the year long festivities through-out the country on completion of it’s 60 years of serving the nation, has been inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri P. R. Dasmunsi by lighting of lamp at Films Division Auditorium, New Delhi followed by a book release titled “Documentary Today”, a special issue commemorating Diamond Jubilee of Films Division.

Shri Dasmunsi in his address stated that Films Division, the harbinger of development and the largest & oldest film making Government body has played a major role in the economic, cultural and socio political revolution, the country had underwent. It’s a matter of pride for every Indian that the Films Division is celebrating it’s Diamond Jubilee. In a vast country like ours where the literacy rate is not very high, film medium is one of the major tools for mass communication. Though it is 60 years old, Films Division is still young at heart and yearns to achieve new goals. Also congratulated Shri Kuldeep Sinha, Chief Producer and his energetic team for taking Films Division to new height. He said he will see that all the facility and necessary funds are provided to Films Division by 15th August so that Film Division can move towards modernization of preserving golden treasure of Indian History and culture. Also hoped that Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will facilitate Films Division to develop a open school to study and see valuable archives of India and take it to the world. He wished Films Division to celebrate it’s 100 years and achieve many more success in coming times.

Just before lighting of lamp, a special film “Framing Time”, directed by Manohar Singh Bisht and produced by Shri Kuldeep Sinha, highlighting glorious 60 years of Films Division were screened. The Film narrated its journey from 1948 to 2008, from the Black & White era to Cinemascope color films.

Shri U. K. Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of I & B expressed his happiness explaining Films Division a true Jewel to the nation. From a modest beginning, Films Division has now earned the distinction of being the largest institutional body in documentary film world with voluminous 8000 films to it’s credit and has won hundreds of national and international awards all over the world and earned two Oscar nomination.

Shri Kuldeep Sinha, Chief Producer of Films Division mentioned Films Division as visual encyclopedia of this young India and promised to play its role of education and motivation of common mass with utmost sincerity in coming times. Also appealed all the Cine Exhibitors to continue screening documentary films and play it’s social responsibility towards nation building.

Shri V. B. Pyarelal gave vote of thanks and wished Films Division to celebrate more and more jubilees and serve the nation as ever.

A four day celebration from 12th to 15th June will showcase the best documentary films of Film Division, produced during last sixty years at Films Division Auditorium, Mahadeo Road, New Delhi. Daily screening will commence from 10:30 a.m. and will be up-to 09:30 p.m.

Films Division, the premier documentary producer, has completed six decades of service to the nation in April, 2008. To celebrate the diamond jubilee, FD is organizing a series of exclusive documentary film festivals all over the country. The year-long festivities will be kicked off with a three day film festival-cum-exhibition in New Delhi from 12th to 15th June, 2008. The festival, to be held at Films Division Auditorium at Mahadev Road, will be inaugurated by Shri PR Dasmunsi, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting on 12th June, 2008. A special issue of FD’s quarterly magazine, Documentary Today will be released on the occasion apart from felicitation of  veteran documentary film makers, former and  present FD officials.  A photo exhibition, chronicling the 60 years’ journey of FD will also be held on the occasion.

Films Division was established in the year 1948 at the initiative of great national leaders, particularly the then Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and the Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in order to document the advent of an young, independent India and to chronicle her further journey. From a modest beginning, FD has now earned the distinction of being the largest institutional body in the documentary film world with a voluminous 8000 films to its credit. Films Division has produced films on all subjects – be it war, freedom struggle, agriculture, adventure, art, cinema and theatre, dance and music, environment, education, eminent personalities, social issues, animation – to name a few. FD has won hundreds of national as well as international awards, participation in many film festivals all over the world and earned two Oscar nominations also. FD has been supplying documentaries to the cinema theatres in the country, for the last fifty years, to help them comply with the mandatory provision of screening educative/motivational films. M.I.F.F. (Mumbai International Film Festival for documentaries, short and  animation films), a biennial competitive film festival organized by the Films Division has completed ten successful editions and is now considered among the best organized/attended documentary film festivals in the world.

While making meaningful documentaries, short and animation films, FD has, of late, ventured into many other akin fields like publication of magazine on Documentary and organizing specialized film festivals all over the country. Considering its professionalism and impeccable record in preserving cinema equipments over the ages and digitalization of films, the I&B Ministry has recently entrusted FD with the responsibility of setting up of  a cinema museum of  international standards christened as MOMI (Museum of Moving Images) which is coming up in the FD complex in Mumbai soon. The premier magazine devoted to documentary genre, Documentary Today has its three issues out while a special issue to celebrate the diamond jubilee of FD will be released on the inauguration of the festivities in Delhi.

It will be worthwhile here to quote the eminent short film maker, James Beveridge thus: “if any one had the hardihood and could screen the entire output of Films Division since 1949, one would incidentally be a witness to a historical account of the whole evolution of contemporary India since Independence. The films have mirrored not only the national events but the national mood shifting and changing from year to year as events swept onward.”

It will be a great opportunity for the film lovers to enjoy these wonder films on Silver Screen at Films Division Auditorium, Mahadeo Road, New Delhi from 13th to 15th June, 2008 and to part with the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Films Division.